My’Keil Gardner’s Achilles tear delivers a major blow to Sun Devils’ defensive depth
Arizona State’s offseason momentum came to a halt with tough news on Monday. Defensive lineman My’Keil Gardner tore his Achilles during rehab and will miss the entire 2025 season, head coach Kenny Dillingham confirmed.
Gardner’s setback stings on multiple levels. First, the sophomore was expected to compete for meaningful snaps on a defensive front returning eight players. His size and athleticism gave ASU another weapon in the trenches. Second, the injury continues a pattern for Gardner. After starring at Liberty High in Peoria and ranking as one of Arizona’s top 2023 recruits, his career at Oregon was derailed by health issues. He played just three games as a freshman before missing his second season entirely.
Dillingham tried to keep the focus forward, pointing out that two current starters once endured the same injury. “Everything happens for a reason,” he said. “Go to work, build relationships with your teammates, and rock and roll.”
For Gardner, the road back will be long, but his resilience has already been tested. The hope now is that this latest challenge sets up a stronger return in 2026. For ASU, it means leaning even harder on its veterans to anchor the defensive line.
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